Mandatory Evacuations Ordered

Many of our counties are now under MANDATORY EVACUATION orders. You may have also heard that the Barker and Addicks dams have been labeled “extremely high risk of catastrophic failure." Due to the torrential rains from Harvey, both of these dams are under pressure, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began releasing water from Addicks at 2 am Monday. They will also release waters from the Barker dam starting at 11 am TODAY. Both of these dams flow into Buffalo Bayou, which has already reached its limits. The releases are said to prevent uncontrollable flooding of the Houston metropolitan area and to avoid a Hurricane KATRINA type catastrophe.

For your assistance, I am providing the latest list of MANDATORY EVACUATIONS, that I have at my disposal as of right now, along with some of the suggested routes. People in mandatory evacuation areas need to be moving by 4 p.m. to either evacuate or get to a shelter.

BRAZORIA COUNTY - County Judge Matt Sebesta has issued a MANDATORY EVACUATION for all residents living WEST of State Highway 288 and SOUTH of State Highway 6.

An evacuation route has been established for State Highway 35 Westbound to Matagorda County to Northbound State Highway 71 reaching Interstate 10. Refer to map. THERE ARE NO OTHER EVACUATION ROUTES OUT OF BRAZORIA COUNTY. State Highway 35 WILL NOT be open indefinitely and will be unpassable with additional rains and river flooding. LEAVE NOW! Residents needing a place to go can shelter in Bell County. Self-Evacuation destination in Bell County will be the EXPO CENTER, 301 West Loop, Belton, Texas. Pets are welcome!

THE CITY OF DICKINSON - The City of Dickinson has issued a voluntary evacuation for residents with medical needs who live in low-lying area.

GALVESTON COUNTY - In Galveston County, Judge Mark Henry issued a voluntary evacuation for residents on Bolivar Peninsula effective Friday, Aug. 25 at 8 a.m. This order includes the unincorporated areas of Port Bolivar, Crystal Beach, High Island and Gilchrist. Residents who rely on medical assistance or those who cannot go without power for an extended period of time are encouraged to leave. On Galveston Island, residents west of the seawall are advised to evacuate. Mayor Carl Joiner called for a voluntary evacuation of Kemah.

Texas A&M University at Galveston will be evacuating their students, who have no place to go after the campus closes, to the Texas A&M University main campus in College Station, Texas at noon Friday.

HARRIS COUNTY - The City of Seabrook, Taylor Lake Village, and Nassau Bay have issued voluntary evacuation orders and all residents are urged to leave by noon Friday. In the Cities of El Lago, La Porte and Shoreacres voluntary evacuations began Friday morning.

JACKSON COUNTY - A voluntary evacuation order was issued for Jackson County.

LA MARQUE - La Marque Mayor Bobby Hocking signed a declaration of local disaster Thursday and enacted a voluntary evacuation for citizens with functional needs, citizens with medical needs and citizens in low lying areas. There is no mandatory evacuation at time.

MISSOURI CITY - Fort Bend County officials said Missouri City residents are under mandatory evacuations should leave at daylight. Judge Hebert said people in those evacuation zones need to plan an early day. If the forecast holds, by 3 p.m. authorities anticipate losing additional roads in Fort Bend County. Judge Hebert advised residents can't go east into Houston, but they can still go north and west. Most roads going north to west are open right now, but they will start to close around 3pm due to high water.

SUGAR LAND - The Fort Bend County Judge's Office says a mandatory evacuation has been issued for Sugar Land residents in First Colony Levee Improvement District #1 and those living within the Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District #7.

All other Sugar Land and ETJ residents within levee districts are under voluntary evacuations at this time, Judge Robert Hebert said.

If residents wait to leave, they will have to wind their way through many detours in the county. By 7pm or 8pm tonight, more roads will be covered with water. As many as 100 roads were already blocked as of 5am.

If everyone in both the mandatory and the voluntary evacuation orders left their homes, 130,000 people would be on the roads in Fort Bend County.

OUTER LYING COUNTIES:

ARANSAS PASS - Mandatory evacuation order issued.

CALHOUN COUNTY - Mandatory evacuation order issued.

UPDATE 5:19 AM - CONROE - City officials say McDade Estates is under a mandatory evacuation, but are recommending residents in River Plantation, Woodhaven Forest, Artesian, Riverbrook Drive and Sherbrook Circle, neighborhoods off of FM 2854, and the neighborhoods downstream from McDade Estates.

FREEPORT - City officials have ordered a mandatory evacuation for all low-lying coastal areas, including Bridge Harbor. All other residents are also encouraged to evacuate.

MATAGORDA COUNTY - Everyone south of FM521 is included in the mandatory evacuation order, including the communities of Palacios, Collegeport, Matagorda, Sargent and Wadsworth.

ROSENBERG - Due to the potential serious threat of flooding and record high levels of the Brazos River, the City of Rosenberg has issued areas of mandatory evacuation for residents and visitors in parts of Rosenberg: West Street and Mulcahy Street, North of Avenue D

River Road area: All properties North of River Road, adjacent to the river North of Brazos: all properties North of the Brazos River, within City limits North Rosenberg: All properties East of 4th Street, North of Avenue B; all properties on 1st Street North of Avenue D.

Keep in mind that failure to obey an evacuation order can result in criminal penalties. As we prepare for the massive flooding impact in [Hurricane] Harvey, I am personally urging all constituents and Texans to please heed these warnings, follow your evacuation route, and avoid high water areas at all costs.

If you find yourself in need of a rescue, the U.S. Coast Guard Houston Command Center number is 281-464-4851.

May God bless and keep you.

Together, Shawn N. Thierry, Esq. State Representative, House District 146